So apparently I might be onto something with my typecasting theories, because it seems like a lot of you are also trying to deduce from the absolutely CRAZY amount of rumors flying around who might be fulfilling each type…and honestly, at this point, I have no clue what to believe 😛 But that’s the fun of DWTS, right?

If the majority of what’s being reported is true (doubtful), then it looks to me like they might actually skip some types this season (haven’t heard any major reports about soap stars or hosts); but if they’re leaking only a few actual celeb participants and the rest are red herrings, then we might get few suprises thrown in and have a more “well-rounded” cast. But enough general speculation – on with the rest of the types!

Advantages: If sales of Tiger Beat are any indicator, the teenyboppers will come out in full force to support their favorite heartthrobs/idols. Being young & good-lookin’ sure doesn’t hurt! Many also have the added advantage of having a decent dance background, especially if they were part of a musical act.

Disadvantages: Youth can also have its disadvantages – as in immaturity. What some might call “youthful exuberance”, others might call “immaturity” or “attention deficit disorder” – poor Cody Linley had a hard time sitting still! Emotional immaturity (a la Aaron Carter’s post-rumba meltdown in the confessional) can be especially off-putting.

Advantages: Being that they’ve been at the helm of their own shows, these guys usually have the media savvy & charisma to appeal to the masses, as well as the previous exposure & recognizability. Most (not all!) are also decently attractive, which never seems to hurt (unless, of course, you’re a model – see previous post for explanation).

Disadvantages: Many hosts are only used to hosting – as in just sitting down & talking (or dodging the occasional punch, if you’re Springer), so the lack of movement experience problem seems to come into play.

Possible candidates this season:Chris Jericho also hosts some show on NBC, so I guess he could do double-duty and fulfill the role of both the athlete and the host.

Advantages: Being that their bread & butter is acting, most can usually nail the emotions of the dances. Bonus points if they’ve done any Broadway (like Winokur) because they have likely had dance experience.

Disadvantages: For lack of a better term, many of them seem to be “has-beens” – actors that haven’t been particularly active in the mainstream in the past several years – or were never that big to begin with (can anyone else think of anything John O’Hurley has been in BESIDES Seinfeld?), making it harder for them to garner votes from a public who may not remember them.

Advantages: Many have achieved pop culture icon status on their respective reality outlets, making them fairly recognizable.

Disadvantages: They may be memorable for the wrong reasons – people tended to remember things like Kim Kardashian’s sex tape more than her reality show, and people seemed more focused on Holly Madison’s split from Hef than her antics on The Girls Next Door. Many can also come across as attention-hungry & talentless – reality TV is often looked down upon as a way to get famous without having any talent whatsoever.

Advantages: As with the teen idols, many have had dance experience concurrent with their music careers.

Disadvantages: Most seem to be committed solely to one genre of music (often R&B or country), making it hard to appeal to a wide fanbase.

Possible candidates this season: Most obvious choice? Michael Bolton. But in the same token, you could also have Brandy and/or David Hasselhoff fulfilling this role if they’re trying to kill 2 birds with one stone. The Xzibit rumor is still lingering slightly, and Pete Wentz fans are still holding out hope.

Advantages: The sheer novelty of having someone with such an off-the-beaten-path claim to fame (famous divorcee/widow, entrepreneur, disgraced politician, etc.) may be enough to have the public voting them – just to see what happens. Being the “underdog” is a powerful thing!

Disadvantages: Due to their often dubious fame, people just may not have any clue who they are – I personally had to Google Mark Cuban’s name.

Possible candidates this season: Can it get much wild card-ier than Bristol Palin?! Good grief…still trying to wrap my brain around how they’re going to try and spin her claim to fame…

Did you miss part I of my typecasting of season 11? Check it out here. Feeling nostalgic? Check out parts I & II of my typecasting of season 10, and see how everything stacked up 😉

Well, Kristin from Watch with Kristin (E!) is a little behind the times. She’s just now confirming Michael Bolton….and Rick Fox. 🙂

The list just keeps on growing! After breaking the news that Bristol Palin is on board for season 11 of Dancing With the Stars, we can now confirm that two real-life exes of Desperate Housewives stars are in the cast. One is Michael Bolton and the other is…

Rick Fox!

Yes, my reliable sources confirm that the former Mr. Vanessa WIlliams and current Mr. Eliza Dushku (some of you may know him as an NBA star) has been cast on the new season of DWTS, which begins September 20. Williams stars as the new fifth housewife this season on Wisteria Lane. She and RIck most recently starred together on the late Ugly Betty.

I didn’t realize Rick Fox is married to Eliza Dushku – maybe this is why she was talking about DWTS and saying she’d dance with Derek on her Twitter. 🙂

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

We can report to you exclusively that Sarah Palin’s 19-year-old daughter Bristol Palin has been cast on the 11th season of DWTS, set to premiere Sept. 20, according to sources.

As for the reports that David Hasselhoff, Audrina Patridge, The Situation and Brandy will also be part of the cast, here’s the deal:

All true, according to sources.

However, from what I’m hearing about those other rumors, Kirstie Alley won’t be there–and neither will anyone of Bachelor or Bachelorette fame (sorry, Ali and Roberto!), unless there are a few last-minute switcheroos

Um, didn’t the Palins give Levi Johnston all kinds of crap for going Hollywood?? Hypocrites much? I hope she doesn’t get Derek, cause I sure as hell ain’t voting for her. Not even Derek can get me to do that.

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

Okay, why am I suddenly hearing all this internet chatter about Johnny being in Los Angeles for the long haul?? Someone want to clue me in? 🙂

Or is this all about a certain website that claims to have a leaked cast that includes Johnny, Jennifer, Kirsti Alley, Florence Henderson, David Hasselhoff, Jon Gosselin, Rachel Uchitel, Audrina Patridge, Kurt Warner, Brandy….Most of these we’ve reported as possibilities, either recently or in the past. Is this a game of telephone, or the real deal? I hope it’s telephone, because this cast is skewing much too old and much too tabloid-y. But just think of the Cheesecake AWARDS!! OH! the rich material. 😉

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

Prior to the cast announcement last season, some of you may remember me analyzing the typecasting of DWTS – basically, the patterns in celeb casting over the seasons which can help us to predict who we might see each season. Interesting to note – last season’s cast fulfilled all 12 of my types (counting Nicole as both a “Teen Idol” and a “Singer”). So why not examine those types again and see what we might get for this season? 😉

Advantages: The winningest of the 12 types, their obvious advantage is their athleticism – you won’t see these guys struggling with strength or endurance moves. In addition, the same tireless work ethic that helped them medal in the Olympics will likely carry them through the toils of the competition.

Disadvantages: For those specializing in sports that are less “artistic” (i.e. swimming, running, volleyball), it might be a bit hard to really get into the character of the dance and truly perform to the crowd. Previously incurred injuries (or the fear of incurring an injury that might hinder their participation in subsequent competitions in their sport, a la Misty May-Treanor) may also slow them down & limit their mobility.

Possible candidates this season:Johnny Weir fans (including Karina Smirnoff) have been tweeting like crazy trying to get him cast this season, but I don’t see them succeeding. I see more possibilities with swimmer Greg Louganis, who has been trying to get on the show for several seasons now, or gymnast Nastia Liukin – a teammate of Shawn Johnson’s & an alleged former flame of Lysacek.

Advantages: As with the Olympians, their athleticism & work ethic make them well-suited to the competition. An edge they might have over their Olympic counterparts: sports like football, auto racing, & mixed martial arts tend to have a larger, more mainstream following than some of the Olympic sports.

Disadvantages: Again, a lack of “artistic” experience & previous injury (especially with the football players, who have really taken a beating over the years). Some of the more muscular athletes in hard-hitting sports may also have difficulty with the refined, precise moves of some of the dances.

Possible candidates this season: At this point, the numerous (reputable) news outlets reporting that Kurt Warner is going to be on season 11, along with Kurt’s own coy dodging of questions regarding his participation, make him almost a lock for this season in my eyes. Don’t see a whole lot of hope for wrestler Shelley Martinez. Landon Donovan is a toss-up for me – maybe, maybe not. We here at Pure DWTS would love to see a representative from a more unique sport – such as jockey Chantal Sutherland. Troy Aikmen – nice try, but we’re pretty sure you’re just joshin’ us 😉

Advantages: All the costumes seem to look fantastic on them (and they can get away with wearing the really skimpy ones) and so do their pro partners – easy to imagine a “showmance”, which always seems to grab votes. Also seems to have cornered the votes of the small population of male viewers, for obvious reasons 😉

Disadvantages: Despite making a career out of looking great posing & strutting down the runway, many of them have proven to be rather awkward movers outside of that context, and some seem to have a hard time carrying around their taller than average stature. They also run the risk of “pretty girl backlash” – the female viewers may turn on them due to jealousy or perceived arrogance, or just never vote for them in the first place, instead giving their votes to the attractive male participants.

Possible candidates this season: Rumors have been flying about UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste, and True Beauty contestant Amy Schmoldt has been hinting that she’d like to do the show.

Advantages: These individuals are extremely well-known & respected in the entertainment business, with many years of experience (and fans) under their belts, as well as an award or two. Also masters of the stage & screen – perhaps the best at emulating the emotions of the dances.

Disadvantages: With many years of experience comes an older age than many of their competitors – which comes with an increased risk of injury & fatigue that could limit the difficulty of their routines.

Possible candidates this season: The Betty White rumor seems to be kaput, so that only leaves Ryan O’Neal, whose name we’ve heard only a few times as a possible contestant.

Advantages: The demographic of soap opera viewers overlaps heavily with the demographic of viewers of DWTS, and most soap opera viewers have been watching those shows for years (I started watching General Hospital when I was 6!), so they often have a fierce loyalty to their favorite characters (and the actors/actresses who portray them).

Disadvantages: This group likely has the most grueling schedule to contend with, as most soaps tape year-round, and some of them are taped in New York, forcing the stars (and sometimes their partners) to fly coast-to-coast several times a week to practice. Many also have absolutely no background in any kind of sport, making them a real “project” for the pros to take on.

Possible candidates this season: The most likely is probably Nancy Lee Grahn, since she’s on an ABC soap. Although I’d love to see Martha Byrne’s campaigners succeed in getting her on the show! As for the men – seems like the only name we’ve heard is Antonio Sabato Jr., and that really just seems more like wishful thinking on the part of his fans.

Advantages: Let’s face it, they’re fun to watch, and they definitely inject some much- needed hilarity into the show.

Disadvantages: They often come across like they don’t take the competition seriously, instead favoring their usual schtick over actual dancing. Some of their on-show humor (Jeff Ross’ in particular) can also be rather polarizing – hilarious to some, offensive to others. And again – often no background in any sort of sport, let alone dancing.

Possible candidates this season: The only name we’ve heard is Heather McDonald, and we can’t even telling if she’s serious or kidding 😛

Tune in for part II, when I make my predictions for who we might see in the way of reality TV stars, teen idols, and much more!

At some point you wonder if some of these are real that the producer leak, and if some of them are NOT real that the producers leak. No, I wouldn’t put it past them to manipulate, deceive and obfuscate (and X-Files fan out there – did I get the quote right? 🙂 ).

RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal that the 57-year-old Grammy Award winner is in negotiations to join the cast of Dancing With The Stars.

“Michael’s management company had been in talks with the show for over a month,” an inside source told RadarOnline.com. “They’re all very excited about it, especially Michael.”

DWTS co-host Brooke Burke made an appearance Monday on Lopez Tonight where she denied knowing who any of the contestants are, but slyly name-dropped Bolton as a good potential for the show.

Since Brooke is so NOT sly, I have to wonder. 🙂 I have to also say that Michael Bolton seems like a no-brainer casting choice – he meshes perfectly with DWTS typical demographic, the 50-something female.

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

Well, didn’t see this one coming and I don’t recall hearing his name mentioned in connection with the show – until now. The article itself is really about Linday Lohan, and Derek and Mark’s comments about her being on the show. From E!s Marc Malkin by way of MSNBC/Today Show:

Fellow hoofer Derek Hough seconds that. “If she did it, I’d be game,” he said. “It’s cool because you do see people turn their lives around on “Dancing With the Stars.” It keeps them fit. It’s nice to see people a year later who started on the new health regime and have kept on track.”

However, Hough warns that Lohan should only compete if she’s focused. “You have to want to do the show,” he said. “You should never come into the show having a manger or any agent or anybody telling you should do this. You need to want to do it. Those are the people who do the best, who want to be there and they’re excited about it. They’re not just there because somebody told them to do it.”

They then talk about all the rumors we’ve heard before, but then throw this little tidbit out at the very end. Take it for what it’s worth – and I don’t know what that is. 🙂

We’ve also been told by a source that Ryan O’Neal is still in talks with producers but he hasn’t decided yet if he’ll take the plunge.

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

🙂 She gives the list of the ones she heard and one of which I forgot to mention: David Hasselhoff. His name has been bandied about some this week and of course Landon Donovan is still out there as a rumor. Also, based on this interview, I think Derek and Chelsie were told there were going to be on the show because TPTB knew they would be asked while doing press at the Emmys – Derek is usually more careful if he doesn’t actually know if he’s on or not.

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

Well, it has gotten to the point (as usual at this point before the seasons starts) that I don’t know what’s an actual rumor and what is just internet chatter. I do know that I’m hearing/reading a bunch of stuff that has the potential to be highly annoying. 🙂 We’ve even got trolls trying to manufacture rumors to get me to post them! I’m actually flattered, but also smarter than your average troll. 😉 All of this was my long winded way of qualifying this post with a – “there are too many rumors and too much speculation to figure out which is which”. I’m going to write out what I’ve read and we’ll just see what happens in a week.

A certain Perez Hilton claims that Audrina Patridge and Brandy are going to be on this season. Problem with this is that Perez prints even the most sketchy of sources as rumors with no editorial opinion of what he thinks of these sources – which is what I try to do. So, I’m going to file this one under “even a stopped clock is right twice a day” and say that I think he might be right this time. Mainly because we discussed both Audrina and Brandy as possibles for previous seasons. Brandy as a rumor a year ago and Audrina as a done deal until MTV put a stop to her participation – this was discussed in the comments of a previous post. “The Hills” is done now, right? That could explain it.

Another one that cracks me up and scares me all at the same time is Mike “the Situation” Sorrentino. Good lord. OK! Magazine is reporting (EXCLUSIVE! my ass 🙂 ) that he is IN.

You might not think the tango, mamba or waltz would require rock-hard abs, but Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino is setting out to show that his GTL skills can translate to the dance floor! OK! has exclusively learned that the Jersey Shore cast member who named his own muscles has signed on to the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars.

They even managed to get a quote from Derek at the Creative Arts Emmys, and his quote cracks me up. Couldn’t agree more, big D. 🙂

OK! spoke to DWTS‘ reigning pro champ, Derek Hough, who says the presence of the Jersey Shore guido will get fans glued to their screens.

“It’s People like that who come on the show who people will tune in and watch because either it will be a travesty or it will be interesting to see somebody turn something completely around so I’m up for anybody,” he told OK! at the Creative Emmys Saturday in L.A. “For me it’s classic entertainment, it’s fun. Whatever gets people talking and tuning in is interesting to watch.”

As a reminder of why I always have to wonder about these “exclusives”, besides the fact that he’s been all over twitter as a rumor for a month or more now, is that we reported on Mike back in July. This is Kate Gosselin all over again. Casual mention on a talk show and “ta da!!” they’re on the show. OK! also says that Audrina and Brandy are signed up (and Kurt Warner), but they likely just cribbed that from Perez. My faith in “journalism” is non-existent.

The above are, IMO, actual solid rumors. We now venture into the area of what is likely fanciful dreams (or nightmare, depending on your perspective) and wishes. 🙂 Have you ever played the telephone game? That’s what a lot of this is probably about. Someone says “hey, wouldn’t it be cool…” and before you know it some “source” is reporting it as fact.

Lindsay Lohan – I don’t know what it’s about, but I’ve heard lots of talk on twitter about her getting a rehab reprieve and doing DWTS. I think this is straight up bull, but I would not be surprised to be wrong. Does anyone know why this chatter is happening? Or is only because of a story on E! News about her possibly getting out of rehab early? Personally, I think it would probably be good for her.

The nightmare category – Oksana Grigorieva and Rachel Uchitel. I’m pretty sure this is all just chatter and crap, but I gotta say: since when does sleeping with a famous man make one famous? Just gross. This better not be true. I don’t want to have to utter the words: “You’re dead to me, Dancing with the Stars.” 🙂

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

You may remember us reporting a couple months back that General Hospital soap star Nancy Lee Grahn had tweeted something about being on a possible casting list for season 11. Well, beyond that, she hasn’t really said or done much to suggest that she was, in fact, going to do DWTS…until now.

Whilst browsing around for GH spoilers today at soaps.com (yes, I’m an avid GH viewer!), I noticed the following posted under the “Comings & Goings” section:

* Nancy Lee Grahn has gone on vacation, which means Alexis won’t be seen again until after the actress returns in mid-September.

Now while this may seem pretty pedestrian on the surface (everyone takes time off – soap stars included), it just seems like a very interesting time for Nancy to take a vacation…especially since the entire cast of season 11 will be present at the live cast annoucement/press conference on August 30. Then you add in the fact that the celebs start practicing with their pros immediately after the cast is announced, and they’re also wrapped up with preseason photo shoots, media, etc…maybe Nancy decided to put GH on hold for a few weeks to prepare for this season of DWTS.

Also interesting to note – the major storyline that Nancy’s character, Alexis Davis, had been involved in at the beginning of the summer has pretty much drawn to a close, which leaves Alexis only appearing in one or two scenes a week…which leaves Nancy with more time to devote to other ventures 😉

What do you guys think: is Nancy’s vacay strategically-planned to coincide with the first few weeks of DWTS training, or is it just a strange coincidence?